Music Is What Drives the Soul
by Holy Angel Heart
Summary: Kasamatsu is a famous singer and regularly sings at Club Kaijou! One day after his performance, he decides to stick around for once. Who is this Phantom Singer that is famous for being mysterious? Why does he seem so familiar? Read along as Kasamatsu must face many obstacles in this new love of his. Just trying to find out about the Phantom's identity was the least of his problems.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Music Is What Drives the Soul Chapter 1 (Kuroko's Timeout Chapter 17) **

**Pairing: Kasamatsu x Kuroko **

**A/N: I read/saw that Kasamatsu likes to play the guitar, so I got this idea from that. Also, I started doing my Kuroko no Basuke one shots based on the alphabet and "M" was still empty, so it works out perfectly! Ah! One more thing...In this one shot, Kasamatsu sings "So Soon" by Marianas Trench and Kuroko sings "Perfect" by Marianas Trench. The last song is "All To Myself" by Marianas Trench. I really love them as you can see. I'm not saying that they (KasaKuro) own the songs, but it's suggested that they do. Also please note the fact that since it's "like" they own them, it's not the same person that wrote the song.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything so please don't report me or something. Since I don't want to add the entire song(s) in case of copyright or something, just search for them on YouTube!**

**-x-x- **

"Good evening everybody, having fun tonight?!" The emcee asked the audience with a huge grin, making them go wild with excitement. It was just another night at Club Kaijou and it was a full house. Some people came for the drinks, others for the ladies, but most were there for the performances. Club Kaijou was a famous hot spot that had all kinds of celebrities visiting. If you wanted to see your favorite singer, model, or actor, this was the perfect place to check.

The dance floor littered with people. If the emcee took the time to make the dj stop playing, someone was about to perform. Not any rookie could perform on the famous stage, which means it was a sight to see! They all waited in anticipation. "Hurry up already!" some random person yelled at the emcee.

The emcee put his hand through his hair, making the girls squeal in delight. Even the emcee was good looking. He coughed, making sure his voice would crack when he spoke into the microphone. "Tonight we have three special groups that will perform tonight." He waited until the cheers died down before speaking again. "The man you've all been waiting for...drum roll please!" The drummer began using his drum sticks and everyone was silent, holding their breath in anticipation. "Please welcome...Kasamatsu Yukio!"

"Kya! Kasamatsu!" The audience screamed at the top of their lungs as the emcee disappeared in a fog of smoke and Kasamatsu appeared sitting on a black stool. His microphone stood on the stand in front of him. He was wearing a white V-neck shirt with the words, "Steady progress; rapid advance" in bold black letters. He had a black studded wristband on both arms. His jeans were a deep blue and were held up with a white and blue checkered belt. He wore regular black sneakers.

Kasamatsu scanned the audience before him with cool grey eyes that would pierce anyone's heart. He paused before signaling the music. Tonight he wouldn't be playing in a band or even doing an acoustic solo, instead he would sing along to the piano behind him. He positioned the mic so it faced down, towards his mouth. "I will be singing 'So Soon." He grimaced as he opened his mouth, closing his eyes and took a deep breath. _"You say, sometimes, it's like I hardly know you,"_ he sung in a low voice and everyone already knew it was a sad song just from his expression.

As he sang, their hearts ached for him. Who was he singing this song to? There must have been an important person in his life and now he was no longer with them.

"_But, I don't want to see you happier with somebody else,"_ his grip tightened on the mic as he sang with his eyes opened slightly. His mind was blank as he sung what was in his heart.

"_I'm well aware this should remain unspoken,"_ he continued to sing, the audience leaning side to side along with the music.

"_This just feels so soon..."_ He finished in a whisper as he closed his eyes shut, the song was now over.

It took everyone a couple of seconds before the air exploded with applause. He slowly stood up, his lips in a tight line as he bowed to everyone before heading off the stage. The pianist didn't speak a word to him, already knowing that he was going to be bombarded with questions from the media. He was the type of singer that sung about their life, this performance definitely smelled like a scandal. He headed for the stairs which was only open for VIP guests but was stopped by a bunch of paparazzi. Cameras flashed in his face as microphones were held up to hear him speak.

"Mr. Kasamatsu, please give us a hint about who the song was directed to!"

"Was it directed to anyone?"

"Do you still have feelings for this person?"

"Please give us some information!"

Kasamatsu looked up and gave them a steeling gaze. "Hah?" His sharp eyes made them flinch for a second. Before they could continue to question him, the security guards were already ushering them outside.

One of the body guards saluted him. "Sorry Mr. Kasamatsu," he said.

"Nah, I'm grateful," he replied honestly.

After walking up the spiraling staircase, he was greeted by a thick middle-aged man in a black business suit. His short black hair was shiny, which he only did on special occasions.

"You're popular as always Kasamatsu," Takeuchi Genta, the owner of the club smiled as he patted his back.

"Thank you sir," he replied. 'Not that I want to be...' Kasamatsu thought bitterly.

"Well at least you're the one that broke up with the chick." Takeuchi gave a hearty laugh.

Kasamatsu held back his fist. "You couldn't be more wrong," he said under his breath.

"Hm, did you say something?"

"No," he shook his head.

The two of them were cut off as the emcee once again returned to the stage, the sudden cheers were deafening. "Wasn't that a great performance? Please give Kasamatsu-san another round of applause!"

The spot light was shone on him. Just to be polite, he walked up to the railing as he waved to everyone below. The crowd went wild.

The spot light returned to the stage as the emcee began to introduce the next act. "Next we have a performance by a mysterious singer," he said in an eerie tone. "No one knows the real name of this person, but he has quickly climbed the stairs to celebrity status." Murmurs erupted in the audience as they wondered who the person was. If it was 'that' guy, then there were many rumors about him. The moment he finished singing, all of the lights would be turned off and he would disappear, never to be heard of until his next performance. He was so unnoticeable that no one ever saw him on the streets. The emcee grinned. "Please welcome the mysterious, Phantom Singer!" The emcee once again disappeared into the fog of smoke and in his place stood a shrouded figure.

Kasamatsu stared curiously at the stage, having the best view. It would be the first time he would get to see the mysterious person perform. He could barely contain his curiosity.

The 'Phantom Singer' stood at the front of the stage with a band behind him. He had a black sleeveless hoodie with the hood pulled up over his head. His light blue hair escaped the hood and covered his forehead. It was combed to the left and appeared to be straight. Kasamatsu wondered if his hair was naturally straight or not. He had a pair of blue headphones around his neck. The hoodie he wore was unzipped and underneath he wore a blue tank top that had the words, 'Shadow' in black text. He had a white and black checkered sweatband on his right wrist. He wore black shorts that stopped an inch below his knees and wore white socks that were rolled down. He wore ordinary black sneakers. After looking at his outfit, Kasamatsu couldn't help but think that they wore similar clothing. His thinking stopped the moment he heard the male's voice.

"Perfect," the 'Phantom Singer' whispered into the microphone.

'He's quitter than I expected...' Kasamatsu thought, but his hands latched onto the steel bars in anticipation. Something told him that he was in for one big surprise.

"_Please sing to me, I can see you open up to breath,"_ contradictory to the lyrics, the audience closed their mouth shut as if the air was stolen from their lungs. His singing was different than expected. Although his normal voice was soft, his singing voice was powerful. Rather than trembling in nerves, he made others tremble through his words.

Although the words were kind of sad, the tempo was fast and yet everyone was tapping their feet to the rhythm.

"_Slow down now, the secrets out,"_ his voice captivated the audience and everyone swayed to the beat.

"_When I know that I don't give a fuck about it anyway."_ By now, everyone could guess the lyrics and were practically singing along.

"_I say yes, I'll undress, I'll do more for less." _To think someone with his looks would sing about relationships and going as far as riding oneself of their clothing. He seemed innocent and he was definitely not taller than five foot five.

"_What you want, what you need has been killing me."_

The expression he wore was pained and somehow desperate. "Just what kinds of things has he gone through?" Kasamatsu mumbled as he watched the male on the stage. He just couldn't take his eyes off of him. His every move made him interested in what he would do next, making him completely forget about his own experiences. The way he sang told a story in itself, being a fellow musician told him that just as the song says, he has a secret. Kasamatsu couldn't help but to want to find out what.

"_Now I'll change everything, I'll make this perfect again." _His voice echoed through the club as he concluded the piece. Just as he finished, he looked up and his eyes met with Kasamatsu's.

"Huh?" Kasamatsu blinked. 'Did he just...?" He did. The Phantom also blinked in surprise. For a second, a ghost of a smile appeared on his face, stunning Kasamatsu in his place.

"Thank you," the singer whispered then bowed and suddenly, he disappeared out of thin air. He wouldn't be heard of again until his next performance. When that would be, no one really knew. Those that did would never tell a soul.

**-x-x-**

***Coughs* I'm just gonna make this into a multi chapter fic. I feel as though it would be too long for me to handle if I made it into only one. There's going to be a lot of twists in here so please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Music Is What Drives the Soul Chapter 2 (Kuroko's Timeout Chapter 17) **

**Pairing: Kasamatsu x Kuroko **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything so please don't report me or something. I hope you like it! I'm not sure just how many chapters this fic will have so please bear with me.**

**-x-x-**

It's already been a week since the last time the Phantom Singer last appeared and yet his voice was still fresh in Kasamatsu's mind. The sweet notes he would hit and yet the song wasn't the nicest song out there. It intrigued him to no end. He wanted to know more about this person. _Our eyes met..._ He wanted to discover more as a fellow singer, not for personal reasons.

"Hey if you're going to crash here, the least you could do is hook me up with some girls," his best friend Moriyama Yoshitaka said. "Or at least stop moping around all day."

"Ugh fine, what do you want from the store?" Kasamatsu grumbled as he grabbed his keys and wallet.

"The usual." Moriyama smirked and plopped down on the couch, picking up the remote and turning the television on.

Kasamatsu continued to grumble about how much of an ass Moriyama was as he slipped his coat on. It was currently fall and he didn't want to catch a cold. He would be having a gig in a couple of days and he didn't want his ass to be chewed out by the boss. "See ya."

"Mhm." Moriyama waved a lazy hand, never taking his eyes off the screen.

The door closed with a loud thump and Kasamatsu was hit by a cold wind. He raised the collar of his coat and took his glasses out of the coat pocket. He didn't need them, but they made for a good disguise. He walked down the steps and got onto the sidewalk. He walked slowly, admiring the slow day since only a few people were on the streets. Although he didn't really like to sleep over at his house, he didn't want to go home to his, at least not yet anyway.

Every time he went home, he was reminded of _him_. The apartment still had some of his things. Hell even the air still smelled like him. There was no way he could go to that place, not until he got over it. But how would he? The two of them had been dating for almost a year. Their one year anniversary was coming up soon and now he had nothing to celebrate, no one to celebrate it with.

He stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets. _Who cares about that bastard anyway?_ He certainly didn't. The betrayal he felt still stung his heart. Pain like that wouldn't disappear so easily. Ever since they broke up a month ago, he dove into a pile of work he didn't need to finish yet. He wanted to keep his mind occupied with singing. He wrote new songs, each of them reflecting his deep feelings that only a select few actually knew about. If only he could work twenty four seven, but he can't. He couldn't even sleep peacefully these days without dreaming something about _him_.

Before he could continue that dangerous train of thought, he had already reached the nearest convenience store. He walked inside, greeting the cashier, and headed straight for the magazines. Since he was already there, there was no point in rushing to get back. He might as well make him wait for the goods. The magazines were the same as always, but one of them caught his eye. The front cover had a picture of the phantom and he was immediately drawn to it. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the male was familiar. If only he had a view of his face...

"There's something wrong with me," Kasamatsu said with a sigh. He placed the magazine back onto the rack and turned around. He was suddenly knocked into and fell to the ground, a heavy weight laid on his chest. "Huh...?" There was an ache in his head since it hit the floor pretty hard. It took his eyes a second to refocus.

"...Sorry," the person on top of him said. When the person looked up, his eyes lit up with recognition. "Kasamatsu...senpai?"

"...Kuroko?"

**-x-x-**

"...That was surprising..." Kuroko mumbled, his expression as stoic as always as he held one of the bags Kasamatsu purchased.

"Yeah..." Kasamatsu was even more surprised, to think that he would be pushed down by Kuroko of all people. He knew it wasn't the type to do it on purpose, so it didn't bother him. The two bought what was needed and now they were heading back to Moriyama's place. His hands were kind of sore from holding four bags, but he wasn't going to make Kuroko hold more than one. He was already grateful for the help.

"Moriyama-san?" Kuroko asked, but he already knew the answer.

"Yup. He wanted the usual." Apparently the usual was junk food.

The two were quiet, but it was a pleasant silence. Neither of them were the probing type and they both definitely didn't want to ruin the comfortable atmosphere they had going. They walked beside each other, their mouths shut, but their minds racing.

"So...have you heard anything lately?" Surprisingly, Kuroko was the one to break the silence.

"None at all," Kasamatsu replied easily. _I'm glad I haven't._

"I'm sorry for what he did..." Kuroko started, but was stopped by Kasamatsu's sharp gaze.

"You have to stop doing that Kuroko; he's not your responsibility."

"...I know." Kuroko gave him a short nod.

The two continued to stay like that until they reached their destination. "Thanks," Kasamatsu said as he grabbed the bag from his small hands. "I appreciate it."

Kuroko smiled. "It's not a problem."

Kasamatsu chuckled. "Thanks again." _I mean it._

"Tell Moriyama-san that I said hi," Kuroko mumbled his goodbye and bowed slowly.

Kasamatsu nodded and waited until he was gone to put his key into the door, opening it. "I'm back..." He walked inside without looking around and placed the bags on the kitchen table. Normally he would have hopped up to him to search the goodies by now. "Moriyama?"

"Moriyama-senpai stepped out."

Kasamatsu froze at the all too familiar voice that came from the person that had been sitting on the couch. "What are you doing here?" He practically barked.

"It's been a while Yukio."

"Don't you dare call me that Kise."

**-x-x-**

**Dun Dunn Dunnn. Sorry it's short, but I wanted a cliff hanger because I'm a sadist! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Music Is What Drives the Soul Chapter 3 (Kuroko's Timeout Chapter 17) **

**Pairing: Kasamatsu and Kuroko**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything! I mention "Stutter" by Marianas Trench in this chapter, don't sue me. :D Look up the song if you want a better image for the story.**

**-x-x-**

Kise was tall and has blonde hair and eyes. He's also a famous male model and is considered number one all over Japan. Even with a disguise on, people could recognize him from miles away. Such a formidable opponent was his ex-boyfriend. The person he didn't want to see until he moved on. Now said person was standing before him in his best friend's apartment. "What the hell do you want?" He tried his hardest not to decrease the space between them and knock some sense into him.

"Is it wrong for me to visit an old friend of mine when I'm in the neighborhood?" Kise asked innocently, but Kasamatsu wasn't anywhere near the level of a fool.

Kasamatsu chuckled sarcastically. His serious expression turned to one of hatred. "I stopped being your friend when you dumped me," he muttered darkly.

Kise's eyes narrowed. "I didn't dump you, _you_ broke up with me."

"You practically did when you** cheated** on me!" He roared.

"I..." Kise looked away. He wanted to say that he didn't cheat, but he clearly did. He should apologize, but he didn't feel sorry. The only thing he regrets is losing one of his best friends.

"You what?" Kasamatsu's spat, his voice laced with venom. "You're sorry?" He snorted. "I know that you aren't."

Kise flinched, but didn't say anything. He looked down and stared at his feet.

"That's what I thought," Kasamatsu crossed his arms and then uncrossed them. He scowled, knowing that he shouldn't ask, but it was eating him inside. "Did you..." He paused, making sure to keep his composure. It wouldn't be good if a tear escaped from his eyes. "...Did you even love me?"

Kise paused, his mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out.

He waited too long to answer, but Kasamatsu already knew why he hesitated. No. His fists tightened and he walked passed him. Their shoulders lightly brushed, causing the spot to grow warm, but he ignored it. _It's just lingering feelings. Don't fool yourself._ He kept on walking, heading for the door. He opened it wide, showing him out. "Leave."

Kise grimaced.

"...Please," Kasamatsu pleaded.

"Yu-...Kasamatsu-senpai," Kise's eyes welled up, but Kasamatsu didn't meet his gaze. "...See you." He walked out the door, but paused. He hovered there for a second before shaking his head and continued to walk away without turning around once.

Before he could go back inside, Kasamatsu waited until Kise was out of sight. His eyes lingered on the spot where he had paused. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he had changed his mind. He was glad that he did, because right now...if he wanted him back, he would accept him in a heartbeat.

Closing the door, Kasamatsu headed towards the kitchen to organize the groceries he had left on the table. He tried to focus on the task at hand, but his mind wandered to the song he had sung at the club.

"_I know you need someone too, this just feels so soon."_

He would feel better if he had sung this song because this was how he was feeling, but it wasn't for him. Although he broke up with Kise, he wasn't the one that moved on first. He sung what he hoped were the lyrics in Kise's heart. The fact that he came by proved that he still felt something, even if it was only guilt. He hoped that when he finds someone else, Kise will regret it. But right now, he didn't feel happy at all. _In the end, I'm the only one that got burned._ The scene he saw that day still affected him. The image of Kise and the other male having sex in his apartment, on the bed they once shared, wouldn't allow him to sleep without remembering how much Kise loved it. He never got like that when the two made love, so why did he stick around? Who knows how long the two had been sneaking around behind his back?

"_Hah hah...I love you." Kise kissed the male eagerly._

_The male smirked and ravished his lips with his own, but not before whispering the same words, "I love you too."_

-x-x-

"Kasamatsu...I'm sorry!" Moriyama apologized, bowing, his forehead connected with the floor.

"Moriyama-."

"I am so sorry!"

"Moriyama it's-."

"Forgive me."

"I said its fine!" Kasamatsu yelled, finally getting more than one word in.

"You sure?" Moriyama asked, suspicious.

"Yeah," Kasamatsu nodded slowly. It's been almost an hour since Kise left, he was glad his friend took his time to get back. He hated showing his vulnerable side.

"Oh that's good!" Moriyama sprung up, full of energy. "Well I'm going out, want to hang out with me and some ladies at the club?" He suddenly remembered something. "Ah! Never mind, you always say no."

Kasamatsu stayed silent as Moriyama was about to walk out the door. "You know what? Count me in."

"Whoa, really?" Moriyama couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But you suck around ladies."

Kasamatsu glared at him, making him shut up. "Maybe it's time I change." He shrugged and grabbed his coat. "Let's have some fun."

-x-x-

"This is seriously not fun," Moriyama sighed as he sat beside his best friend at the bar. He watched as a crowd of girls surrounded the singer, leaving him alone. If any of them actually paid attention to him, it was to ask questions about their idol.

Kasamatsu coolly sipped a cup of Rum and Coke. "I didn't wish for this to happen."

"No, that's not the problem." Moriyama shook his head. "I'm fine with the hordes of chicks, but you're not showing even a little bit of interest in them! At least wink at one!"

"I'm not...in the mood." Kasamatsu grabbed his glass and stepped away from the bar. The girls automatically made a path for him.

"Not in the mood?" Moriyama scoffed and took his drink, following his friend up to the VIP section he would always go to. "What do you mean you're not in the mood?" The two walked up the steps, greeting the other famous people there, but not caring about who they saw. "If anything, you just killed_ my_ mood."

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes. He peered at the stage suspiciously as he leaned on the railing. He wouldn't have to perform until tomorrow, but he might as well watch. The air around him stirred. As a singer, he could tell when someone had the talent. Right now, someone with a lot of talent was near the stage. The lights suddenly turned off, mist surrounded the stage and a mysterious figure appeared on stage. Kasamatsu's eyes widened in surprise, just like everyone else's did. The Phantom Singer would finally make an appearance. He couldn't be luckier.

His performance was beautiful. He sung a new song called "Stutter" and it was different compared to the last one. Again he sung with an upbeat rhythm, but this one was actually positive. He even danced to it, surprising everyone since he never did that before. He wore the same style as the last time, covering most of his face so his face couldn't be seen. Kasamatsu hated to admit it, but this person had skills. Even though the singer already disappeared, the people around him were still buzzing from the excitement.

"_That_ was awesome," Moriyama sipped his drink as the two sat on one of the couches in the VIP area. The two sat all the way in the back so that no one could see them without coming closer. "It's my first time seeing him. I see why you're so interested." Moriyama smiled suggestively.

Kasamatsu glared at him. "I'm interested in his voice. I'm sure a lot of other artists are too_." I would love to do a duet with him._ Kasamatsu's voice was rather deep and rough, making you shiver in delight. The phantom on the other hand had a powerful yet soothing voice that if he wanted to, could command you to do anything. _I'm sure if he told everyone to strip, they would be happy to oblige._

"Sure, keep on telling yourself that," Moriyama stated sarcastically while rolling his eyes. I'm just glad that you're not wallowing in self-pity.

Kasamatsu raised his hand so he could back hand him, but he was interrupted by the clearing of a throat.

"Ahem."

The two turned to see who it was and Kasamatsu gasped in surprise.

"Kuroko?" Kasamatsu's eyes widened as the short blue haired male stood in front of the table. He wore a black T-shirt and dark blue denim jeans. "What are you doing here?"

Kuroko slipped in beside Moriyama so that he could sit in front of Kasamatsu. "Moriyama-senpai invited me." He had a large cup. Most would think it was filled with alcohol, but it actually had a vanilla milkshake inside. He proceeded to take a blue bendy straw out from his pocket.

Kasamatsu eyes closed as he tried to tone down his urge to slap Moriyama across the face and forget that Kuroko carried a spare straw with him wherever he goes.

Kuroko smiled softly, knowing exactly what was going through his mind. "...I heard about what happened."

Kuroko's soft voice snapped his eyes open. His gaze softened when his eyes met with Kuroko's. They weren't eyes of pity, but reflected his want to make his friend feel better. "Thanks Kuroko, but I'm fine."

The shorter male shook his head. "I'm not convinced."

"Kuroko," Kasamatsu warned.

"Kasamatsu-senpai." Kuroko didn't back down.

The two stared at one another, but just as always, the victor of the staring contest was none other than Kuroko, the reigning champ. "Ugh fine." Kasamatsu huffed and held his head up with his arm.

"..." Kuroko didn't say anything, but his arms went up to celebrate his victory.

Moriyama chuckled as he watched the two. "If I didn't know any better, I would say the two of you were the ones dating."

The two shot glares at him.

"I'm just saying." He shrugged it off as though the two weren't planning how to torture him to death.

"I have a boyfriend," Kuroko quickly denied.

"Yeah he has a boy-," Kasamatsu and Moriyama's eyes bulged. "You what?!"

"You heard me." He sipped on the bendy straw.

"Since when?" Kasamatsu watched him suspiciously.

Kuroko ignored his careful gaze. "A little bit before you and Kise started..." He trailed off, realizing that he shouldn't have brought up his name. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, looking away from Kasamatsu's eyes.

"You don't need to apologize," Kasamatsu said, his eyes looking in the other direction. He didn't realize it, but his eyes shown the pain that shot his heart when he heard the name.

Kuroko bit his lip and looked down. Most people wouldn't notice it, but this was what Kuroko did whenever he was about to cry. "It's all my fault. If only I hadn't introduced you..."

Kasamatsu reached over the table and held Kuroko's chin. "Stop blaming yourself! If there's anyone to blame, it's me okay?!"

Everyone in the VIP section turned towards the sudden shout, but since they were all the way in the back, they couldn't see anyone. They were too lazy to get up and check.

For once, Kasamatsu surprised himself. He slowly took his hand off of Kuroko. "Sorry..."

"It's okay." Kuroko didn't mind it at all. He knew the way Kasamatsu worked and he expected the reaction. However, he didn't think that he would shout like that. "..." Kuroko touched his chin; Kasamatsu's warmth was still there.

Kasamatsu cursed at himself. Ever since they met, the two have been close. Which others found abnormal.

_Kasamatsu walked down the sidewalk at the University he was attending, his acoustic guitar in its bag strapped to his back. He read the music sheets in his hands, wondering about what lyrics he should write for the melody. He was too busy to notice where he was going and ended up colliding with another person. "Oomph."_

"_Ah, sorry," a person whispered as they picked up their book that they were reading._

"_Nah it's okay." Kasamatsu sorted his music sheets. He finally looked up to see the person handing him the others. "It's my fault; I wasn't watching where I was going, ah thanks."_

_The male shook his head; his short light blue hair became messy in the process._

"_My name's Kasamatsu Yukio." He held his hand out for him to shake._

"_...Kuroko Tetsuya." Kuroko shook his hand and bowed slightly._

"_You must be new here, haven't seen you around." Kasamatsu grinned at him._

"_I'm a first year."_

"_That explains it. I'm in my last year." Kasamatsu nodded, remembering his first year. He fainted when a girl tried to kiss him. "If you have any problems, just call me." He conveniently had a business card with his name on it._

_Kuroko took it and read it. "You're...a musician?"_

"_Yeah." Kasamatsu grinned and fixed the guitar on his back. "I also have my own manager and place I play at."_

"_Amazing."_

_The way Kuroko said that brought a blush to his cheeks. It sounded honest, as though he really believed so. "Uh..."_

_Kuroko looked at the music sheets in his hands. "You write your own songs?" His hands gripped around the book in his hands._

"_Yeah, but I can't come up with the lyrics..." He noticed the big black book he held, it was titled, "Poetry"._

"_Uh um..." Kuroko hid the book behind his back._

"_You can write poetry?!" A huge grin spread across his face. He didn't realize it, but his hands were placed on his shoulders and their faces were only inches away from each other. "Can you help me?"_

"_Huh u-um..." The shorter male was at a loss for words. No one ever noticed that he had a thing for poetry. If anything, most people didn't even notice him at all._

"_Please." Kasamatsu's eyes pleaded for him._

"_...Okay..."he mumbled softly._

"_Really? Thanks." Kasamatsu grinned and wrapped his arm around Kuroko's shoulder. "Let's get started then."_

"_Eh?!"_

_The two quickly became friends after that. The song they wrote together became Kasamatsu's legendary piece that had over 1 million albums sold. Kuroko used an alias because the fame just wasn't for him. Kasamatsu didn't mind, and the two began to hang out often. They quickly became friends to the point that they saw each other almost every day. Even after Kasamatsu graduated, they still kept in touch. People that saw them together thought it was weird that they weren't a couple. But the two didn't understand what was weird for two guys to be close. They were ignorant of the idea of being close; they were too close for comfort._

_One day, Kasamatsu arrived late to a gig at Club Kaijou. He was supposed to arrive with Kuroko, but he suddenly had plans and couldn't make it. He didn't really mind, but when he go there, he was shocked to see that it was more packed than usual. There was a crowd of people standing at the entrance, screaming and trying to get inside._

_He realized that it would be smarter to go around the back. When he finally got inside, he noticed that the place was empty._

"_Huh...?"_

"_Oh Kasamatsu!" The boss came down from the VIP section with a grim expression. "Sorry, but something came up..." He tilted his head in the direction of the bar. A blonde haired male sat on one of the stools, a glass of rum in his hand. "Don't worry; I'll pay you for the trouble of coming all the way here."_

"_..." Kasamatsu's eyes lingered on the back of the male. He didn't know why, but his chest twisted at the view of him slumped over. "Is it okay if I practice? Just got a new song and I wanted to try it out." He smiled; Kuroko did an amazing job with this one._

_The boss' eyes twinkled with understanding. "Sure. I leave the club in your hands."_

"_Thanks." Kasamatsu grinned and headed for the stage. He set up his guitar to the amp and strummed a cord. He immediately started to sing the lyrics that Kuroko came up with. He sung with all of his heart and completely forgot where he was. All that mattered was the song in his head and the guitar in his hands._

_Soon, he finished and heard a clapping sound. He opened his eyes to see the blonde male in front of him. His clothes and hair were no longer messy and he managed a small smile. "That was awesome."_

"_Ah thank you." Kasamatsu smiled down at him._

"_Would you like a drink?" the male asked, pointing at the bar._

"_Don't mind if I do."_

_Time flew by and when morning came, he woke up to see the male beside him in his bed, completely naked._

_It turned into a one night stand and Kasamatsu hadn't heard from him in weeks. He didn't even know the guy's name._

_One night, Kuroko came to his apartment and introduced him to one of his best friends. He nearly fell from surprise when it turned out to be the blonde haired male._

"_Hello Kasamatsu-senpai, I'm Kise Ryouta."_

Kasamatsu grimaced at the memory. His time with Kuroko was shortened and Kise occupied it.

"Kasamatsu-senpai?" Kuroko's voice was filled with worry.

"Mhm?" Kasamatsu picked up his drink and gulped it down.

Moriyama and Kuroko stared at him. Is he crazy? He just finished his fifth cup of hard liquor in one gulp.

"You know Kuroko...I..." Kasamatsu leaned in, motioning for Kuroko to do the same. "I'll tell you a secret."

"A...secret?" Kuroko frowned. He was totally drunk.

Kasamatsu breathed next to his ear, laughing slightly. "To tell you the truth I..." _I had a crush on you since we first met._

"Kasamatsu-senpai?" Kuroko's frown deepened. "Kasamatsu-senpai?"

"Kuroko..." Kasamatsu's vision blurred as the world around him turned black. The last thing he saw was a frantic Kuroko staring at him as he fell unconscious.

**-x-x-**

**I know the important points for this story, but how I get to those points is still a mystery because I come up with things as I go. I usually just get an idea and go. XD Reason as to why I suck at multiple chapters...I think I have commitment issues.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Music Is What Drives the Soul Chapter 4 (Kuroko's Timeout Chapter 17) **

**Pairing: Kasamatsu and Kuroko**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**-x-x-**

_Kasamatsu walked down the street with his acoustic guitar inside a black case that was strapped to his back. It was early fall and the leaves were only starting to clutter the ground. He was really excited to come home since he had been on a tour in another city. They weren't supposed to come home until the afternoon, but they were able to catch an early flight. Before coming home, he had to visit the club since the boss invited him for a drink. When it ended, he was offered a ride home, but since it had been a while, he wanted to appreciate the scenery._

"_Maybe I should call Kise..." Kasamatsu whispered to himself and pulled out his cell, dialing his number. He waited a couple of seconds, but it went straight to voicemail. "I guess he's busy with a photo shoot or something." He shrugged and stuffed it back into his pocket. He was almost to their apartment anyway._

_The walk wasn't long, but when he got to his door and unlocked it, he was surprised to see the condition it was in. It looked the same as always, but he noticed shoes next to the door. Kise must have been home. "Kise...?" He softly called, but his eyes shifted to the pair of shoes on the floor. Kise must be there, but there shouldn't be two different pairs. That was when he saw a couple of clothes scattered across the room, leading to the bedroom the two shared. His gut twisted into a knot. "Don't tell me..." he trailed off and shook his head. No, there was no way Kise would do something like that._

_He quietly headed towards his room; the door was wide open, light spilling into the hallway. The squeaking and loud breathing made him freeze._

"_Hah hah...I love you." Kise kissed the male eagerly._

_The male smirked and ravished his lips with his own, but not before whispering the same words, "I love you too."_

_Kasamatsu held his hand to his mouth and pulled his cell phone out and dialed Kise's number. 'Please pick up,' he chanted in his head._

"_Hey Kise, your phone's ringing," the male said with a frown and allowed the blonde to grab it._

"_Oh it's Kasamatus-senpai..." he hesitated to answer, but when he did, his voice was as perky as ever. "Yes?"_

"_..." Kasamatsu backed away from the door and spoke quietly with his hand covering his mouth. "What are you doing?"_

"_Hm?" Kise was busy staring at his lover._

"_I called you a few times already..." He bit his tongue as a tear fell down his face._

"_Oh? Sorry! I was busy practicing my lines with a co-actor. You know how I told you that I'm starring in a drama."_

"_Mhm hmm..." Kasamatsu vaguely remembered him saying that._

"_Anyway, I gotta go. Can't leave him waiting..." He trailed off, blushing as he was hugged from behind._

"_...Kise...?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_...Look up."_

"Gah!" Kasamatsu sat up quickly, scaring Kuroko.

"Kasamatsu-senpai?" Kuroko sat on a chair next to him with a wash cloth and a bowl full of water. "Are you okay?"

"Uh..." His mind flashed to his dream, a memory. He gulped, "I'm fine." He looked at him with a smile that asked for him not to probe more. "Anyway, where are we?"

"..." Kuroko's dejected expression made him uneasy. "We're in your apartment..."

"Ah..." _That would explain the dream. _He smiled at him. "It's fine."

Kuroko allowed his relief to show on his face, an expression on a few got to witness. "I'm surprised you're not throwing up..."

"I'm an...experienced drinker." He chuckled lightly. He then blushed in embarrassment when his stomach grumbled noisily.

"..." Kuroko got up to get him something to eat, but stopped when he felt Kasamatsu's hand on his elbow.

"It's fine. Rather than food, I just want your company..." Kasamatsu awkwardly admitted.

"..." Again Kuroko smiled and nodded. He sat back down on the chair and stared at Kasamatsu.

"So uh...is it okay to be here?" Kasamatsu asked when the silence got too awkward for him to handle. "Is your...boyfriend okay with it?"

"He said it was fine," Kuroko assured him. _Though he did sound a _little _pissed. _"Are you sure you're not hungry? I'm not the best cook, but I make a mean boiled egg."

Kasamatsu chuckled lightly and shook his head, he felt his shoulders relax. "I said I'm fine. Don't try to order your senpai around."

Kuroko's face didn't change much, but Kasamatsu could tell that he was sulking from how his lips pressed slightly together. He just laughed.

The two were having a good time together even though much wasn't being said, they didn't care.

But then it suddenly got quiet when the door to the apartment started to be pounded by a fist.

A look of panic crossed Kuroko's face. "I-I'll get it." He hurried to the door, Kasamatsu slowly followed behind.

When he opened the door, Kuroko's panic grew.

"Oi, Tetsu."

Kasamatsu's eyes widened.

"Aomine-kun..."

"Come on let's go." Aomine scowled and roughly took Kuroko's hand, pulling him outside.

"W-Wait." Kuroko slipped away to grab his things and bowed to Kasamatsu. "Sorry Kasamatsu-senpai, but I have to take my leave."

Kasamatsu didn't hear him; instead his eyes glared at the tall tanned male behind him.

"Kasamatsu-senpai?" Kuroko waved a hand in front of his face, his voice brimming with concern.

Aomine lifted his gaze up from Kuroko to Kasamatsu. His scowl twisted into a sickening smirk.

Kasamatsu bit his lip as he tried to calm down his rage, his fingernails dug into his palms, a drop of blood escaped.

"Kasamatsu-senpai...?"

Kasamatsu finally looked at Kuroko. His eyes filled with worry made his heart rip into shreds. He coughed. "I'm fine Kuroko."

"_Tetsu_," Aomine said with a hint of authority in his voice, "let's go."

"Okay..." Kuroko gave Kasamatsu one last wave while Aomine tugged on his hand. "See you."

"...See you..." Kasamatsu watched as he left, his insides burning.

With a little distance between them, Kuroko looked up and met Aomine with a loving gaze.

"I love you Aomine-kun."

"_Hah hah...I love you."_

The male smirked, glancing at Kasamatsu_ and ravished his lips with his own, but not before whispering the same words, _

"I love you too."

**-x-x-**

**Cliffhangers are fun.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Music Is What Drives the Soul Chapter 5 (Kuroko's Timeout Chapter 17) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**A/N: In reply to Danny, cliffhangers are really fun because I'm sadistic. Also, one of my oneshots will be a HimuKuro and when I'm done with all of the oneshots...which won't be for a looooong time, I'll try to write a MurasakibaraxMitobe oneshot =w=. Thanks for reviewing even though you're a guest. ^^ They make me happy, that includes other people who review even if they're a guest. Sorry I made the last chapter so short. I did it for the dramatic effect.**

**-x-x-**

"_Hello Kasamatsu-senpai, I'm Kise Ryouta."_

"_Hah hah...I love you."_

"It's been a while Yukio."

"Don't you dare call me that Kise."

"Kasamatsu-senpai...?"

"_Hah hah...I love you."_

_"Oi Tetsu."_

"_...Kise...?"_

"_Hm?"_

"I love you Aomine-kun."

"_...Look up."_

_"I love you too."_

_"...Look up."_

"_...Look up."_

"...Look up!" Kasamatsu sat up, sweat dripping down his face. It took him a second to calm his beating heart. When his eyes finally adjusted to the dark, he realized that he was sleeping in his bed. The bed that Kise cheated him bed that Kuroko had put him in only a few hours before. The bed that gave him nightmares. He lied back down, his right arm resting on his forehead as he stared blankly at his ceiling. "What the hell am I doing?" The man that his ex-boyfriend cheated with is his long time crush's current boyfriend. The boyfriend that Kuroko had been dating before even him and Kise started. Kise and I would have made our one year anniversary...it's only been a month since we broke up. His heart started to thump in his chest. Who knows how long the two had been sneaking around behind my back?

"Kuroko is dating Aomine Daiki; the hottest actor in Japan." Kasamatsu breathed slowly, trying to collect his thoughts. "Kise is the hottest model at the moment." He remembered what happened on that night. "Oh? Sorry! I was busy practicing my lines with a co-actor. You know how I told you that I'm starring in a drama." In other words, what Kise said wasn't a lie. Right now, the two were in the making of a drama, it had yet to be released, but it was already popular. "But normally...dramas take months to make..." The two had plenty of time to cheat without anyone knowing. "Kuroko would die if he found out that it's been happening for so long," Kasamatsu whispered, his heart breaking at the thought. How could Kise do this to him?

Kasamatsu picked up his cell from his bedside table and gulped. Should I do this...? He's still salty from the last time he spoke to him. It's one thing to speak in person when the other just suddenly pops up. He didn't initiate it that time, he did. But if he decides to do this, then he will be the one to initiate communication. Is it really worth the risk? Yes...I need to know. He pressed the buttons and Kise's number showed on the screen. It was his last chance to escape.

"God dammit," he cursed and pushed the call button.

"Ring."

"Ring."

"Ring."

"I'll kill him if he doesn't ans–,"

"...Kasamatsu-senpai?"

Kasamatsu gulped at the familiar voice. Okay now it was now or never. …Shit. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Uh...sure? But what–,"

"Kuroko left my place an hour ago with him." His voice had more venom than what he was going for, but oh well.

"Oh," Kise responded, understanding who he meant right away. "What was Kurokocchi doing at your–,"

"That's none of your business."

"...So what do you want?"

From the way his voice went up an octave, Kasamatsu knew that he was a little hurt by that. "How...how long have you been doing it with Aomine?"

"...Why...should I answer that?" Kise's guard went up by a lot. "That's not of your concern."

"It is!"

"Why?! You don't care about me!"

"I...!" Kasamatsu had to bite down on his tongue. I don't. "I care about Kuroko." But I once did.

"Kurokocchi?" Kise scoffed. "Why is it always about Kurokocchi?! Why can't it be me? Why can't he love me...?"

"..." Kasamatsu closed his eyes. I knew it. "How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long have you been in love with Aomine?"

"..." Kise was silent for a second. "How could you tell...?"

"Because I've always loved Kuroko."

After thinking for a while, Kise sighed into the phone. "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"I...I fell in love at first sight...the first time I saw Aomine was when I was going to a modeling job and he was the model I had to shoot with." Kise smiled as the memories unfold before his eyes. As if it was only yesterday...

_"Crap! I'm late!" Kise rushed as he got out of the cab, a steaming latte in his hand and a bagel in his mouth. He woke up late, but there was no way he was going to leave without having his breakfast; even if that meant eating it on the go. It was his first photo shoot with another male model. He was always put with 'the' latest woman since he was __**the**__ hottest man. His hands were jittery, but not from the caffeine. No he was diagnosed with the rare case of nerves. Who would this mysterious man be? Is he a noob? Or possibly a famous guy he looked up to? His manager didn't spill any details what so ever. All she told him to do was to be there on time. He had one job and yet he screwed it up. He would get a real earful later._

_"I'm here!" Kise opened the door to the set and saw the workers scrambling around. They were so busy that they hadn't noticed his presence._

_"Ah Kise-kun you're finally here," Kise's manager looked up from her clip board._

_Why isn't she getting mad at me? "Why is everyone so frantic?"_

_"The other model hasn't arrived yet."_

_"What?" Kise's eyes widened. He checked the time on his watch. He was at least 30 minutes late, just how late would this guy be?_

_"Well anyway," she pushed him towards one of the staff members. "Go and get ready. At least that way we'll have one less problem to worry about."_

_"Wha–,"He was shoved into the dressing room and wasn't allowed out until he was completely dressed with makeup and what not. When he got out, the mystery guy still hadn't arrived. He was surprised that they were okay with waiting for so long. The guy was definitely not a noob. They would have shot and left by now._

_"So who are we waiting for?" Kise asked his makeup artist as he stood in front of the camera. Waiting under all of the bright lights made his foundation run._

_"What you didn't hear?" She gasped and moved closer to whisper in his ear. "It's __**the**__ Aomine Daiki._

_Kise blinked owlishly. "Aomine Daiki?"_

_"Yeah! Aren't you excited?!" She squealed._

_"Who's Aomine–,"he started to ask, but his voice was drowned out by loud shrieking._

_"Kya! He's here! Oh my god! I'm going to meet Aomine-kun!" The girl started to fan herself, ready to faint from hyperventilating._

_Kise watched as the girl followed the line of women to the entrance of the set. Their screaming grew louder as a tall tanned man walked passed them. His dark blue hair was styled with a little edge and he looked annoyed. He felt his palms become moist as the male turned in his direction and started walking towards him. He gulped when he stood in front of him, a lazy yet cocky grin on his face. Kise couldn't deny the chill that ran down his spine._

_"Nice to meetcha, I'm Aomine Daiki."_

_**-x-x- **_

"The bastard arrived late and everything, but no one complained. Well except for Momoicchi, his manager. He was just too good at what he does. He almost blew me away, and I'm the one with the longer modeling career."

Kasamatsu took a second to let that information digest. It was definitely before he met him. Before the two had any sort of relationship what so ever. "...When did you find out that the two of them knew each other?"

"I..." Kise looked down, biting his lip.

It was a usual habit of his whenever he was sad. He noticed because it was the same habit Kuroko uses whenever he's about to cry.

"I found out one day when I decided to visit Kuroko out of the blue...and it turned out that he was there too."

_"Kurokocchi will definitely be surprised!" Kise was jittery with excitement as he drove his car. He couldn't wait to tell his best friend about his affair with Japan's most popular young actor. He would definitely be happy for him. Kuroko knew that Kise never really opened his heart to anyone except for him, his first real best friend. Due to him being a model since he was a child meant that his friendships were always shallow. Not with Kuroko though. He could be himself with Kuroko. He didn't need to worry about his appearance or his status. The two were simply friends and nothing could really come between them. Heck if anything, Kise always thought that if the two ever liked the same person, he would definitely back off. Kuroko meant that much to him. He was glad that Kuroko never spoke about any love interests; the two surely had different tastes. In a few minutes, he was finally in front of Kuroko's apartment building which the two of them shared. He was usually never home because of work, but whenever he was off, he would return to the home where Kuroko would be._

_Kise walked up to their room and hesitated in front of the door. "Should I knock or just use my key?" He shook his head. Since he had a key, he might as well use it. He took his gold colored key from his fashionable back pack and pushed it inside. It turned with a click and he slipped inside, making sure not to make a peep. He noticed a pair of shoes on the ground that was definitely not Kuroko's. The size and brand was one that Kuroko had never worn. "Kurokocchi...?" He noticed that everything was the same as before. None of the couches were moved, the TV was exactly the same. But rather than seeing Kuroko on the couch reading his book of poetry, he was occupied by someone else._

_"Ah Kise-kun..." Kuroko broke away from the other's face._

_"Tetsu. Who's that?" A gruff voice came from the mysterious person. He turned towards Kise, his annoyed scowl turned into a slightly shocked expression. _

_Tetsu? Kise scoffed inwardly._

_Kuroko stood up and gestured to Kise. "Kise-kun...this is Aomine-kun."_

_It took him a second to realize and then his mouth broke into a sly smirk. "Ah...Kise. Didn't we do a shoot together once?"_

_Kise's hands balled into fists. Once? Are you freaking kidding me? It was only a few days ago! "Yeah, once," he muttered, trying not to punch the blue haired male. "So what are you doing here Aominecchi?" Since the two had modeled together, they had more than a few words spoken between them. Apparently, Aomine was going to hide that from Kuroko._

_Aomine turned towards Kuroko. "You didn't tell him Tetsu?"_

_Kuroko felt that it was odd how Aomine didn't flinch at the nickname Kise used for special people. "I...was going to tell him tonight."_

_"Tell me what Kurokocchi?"Kise didn't like the sound of the way they spoke about the secret they kept from him._

_"We're...uh..." Kuroko frowned slightly._

_Aomine grumbled and spoke for him. "We're dating."_

_**-x-x-**_

_Kasamatsu lay back on his bed, the phone lying on the pillow. Everything clicked. "Was...was that the night the two of _us...?" Had sex?

"Yes..." Kise closed his eyes in pain. "I'm sorry Kasamatsu-senpai."

"...Why did you...Meet me?" Kasamatsu ignored the fact that everything really was a lie. He remembered that night. It was the most he had ever seen Kise be so vulnerable. The one that made him that way was Aomine.

"He...I...I...It was too much for me. I couldn't take it anymore."

_"Rin, you bastard," Kise glared at the male before him dressed in casual clothes with a script in his hands. He tried his hardest to not step closer and take a whiff of the dark blue silky strands that taunted him._

_"What the fuck did I do Haru?" Aomine gripped the blonde's collar. The script in his hands fell down to the floor, no longer needed. He was a professional actor; he only needed a few minutes to memorize the entire thing._

_"Why...Why did you spit in the pool?"Kise tried to keep his serious expression, but the irritation shown clearly on Aomine's face made him laugh._

_Aomine exploded and stomped on_ _the script that now had a big brown shoe print on it. "What the fuck are we acting?"_

_Kise wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes. "A fan requested that we read their fanfiction. It's not that bad really."_

"_Oh it's not that bad? NOT THAT BAD?" Aomine gave him a look of fury. "You're not the one that has to reply to your retarded lines."_

"_Well you're not the one that has to say them!" Kise shouted back and then the two got into a huge argument that caused the camera that was recording them to break and fall._

_The two were put on time out by their managers, whom were very pissed that they would have to compensate the expensive tool._

"_What is wrong with the two of you? Seriously you guys have been arguing for a while," Momoi shook her head. "Maybe I should tell Tetsu-kun about this," she warned._

"_No anything but that Momoicchi," Kise pleaded with his best puppy dog look._

"_Tch," Aomine clicked his tongue._

"_Well I won't tell him this time, but the two of you should go home since you wasted our only camera on set right now." Momoi got up and dusted off her black business skirt. "Fix whatever problem you guys have before tomorrow. Bye bye~!" She undid her ponytail and allowed her long pink hair to fall down her back. Her work switch was turned off and now she was the usual bubbly Momoi._

_The two watched silently until she left. Kise was the first to grab his back pack and started to head out with Aomine following behind him._

_The pace he was walking told Aomine that Kise was still mad and although he really shouldn't, he felt a pang of guilt hit him. _Hard.

"_Kise wait," Aomine grabbed his arm and led him to the nearest alley._

_Kise crossed his arms and frowned, "What?"_

"_Why are you ignoring me?"_

_It's because I love you, but you're dating my best friend. Kise looked down at their feet. "No reason."_

"_Bull shit." Aomine growled. "Tell me."_

"_I don't want to."_

_Now they were in the same position as the scene they were playing before they argued. Aomine's hand clutched a large amount of cloth and Kise was backed up against the dirty wall. "Tell me _now_."_

_Kise shoved him away with all his might. He barely evens stepped back a few feet. "Why do you even care?! You have Kurokocchi! So why don't you just leave me alone?!"_

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Aomine glared at him, he wasn't catching on._

"_I love you, you dumbass!" Kise punched him in the stomach, making him stumble backwards._

"_Ugh," he exclaimed, doubling over._

"_Do you understand how it feels? To love your best friend's boyfriend?"_

"_..." Aomine stared at him with understanding. "Kise...I..."_

"_You what?" Kise spat. "You're sorry?"_

"_No I..." Aomine looked down at Kise's hands. He watched as the blonde clenched them tightly. He noticed the drops of water falling to the ground. He snapped his head back up to see Kise's cheeks drenched in tears. "I love you too."_

"_Wha –," Kise started but his mouth was covered by his._

_The two shared a passionate kiss and didn't show any signs of stopping. That was until Aomine's cell phone started to ring. The familiar sound made Kise's mind wake up and he shoved Aomine away. "Kurokocchi..."_

_Aomine took his phone out and stared at Kise while he flipped it open. "Hello?"_

_Kise could only hear muffled talking, but he knew it was Kuroko. The guilt spread from his throat and stopped at the pit of his stomach. He wanted to hurl._

"_Okay...I understand," Aomine finished the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He looked up to see Kise's eyes full of sorrow. "Kise...I..."_

"_No," Kise shook his head and swallowed. "Don't."_

"_..." Aomine stepped closer, but Kise stepped back._

"_Please," he pleaded._

"_I'm sorry," Aomine whispered before walking away. He whistled for a cab and got inside without turning towards Kise._

_Kise waited until he was gone to finally collapse onto the cold ground. He just confessed to Aomine, behind Kuroko's back. "I'm sorry Kurokocchi...I'm so sorry."_

_Aomine's words echoed in his ears, "I love you too."_

_A few days passed, Kise decided that he needed to get over Aomine so he continued to hide what happened. When he found out that Kuroko was friends with the guy he had sex with, he felt the gears in his head start turning. He could use him to get over Aomine._

_He followed Kuroko to the male's apartment and loved the surprise that was shown clearly on his face. He held out a hand for him to shake. "Hello Kasamatsu-senpai, I'm Kise Ryouta."_

**-x-x-**

**Okay I'm stopping it there, I would make it longer, but I've been putting it off for far too long. Not to mention my back aches and it's time for bed. Please review! Chapter 226 gave me too many feels. Gonna cry in a corner now.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Music Is What Drives the Soul Chapter 6 (Kuroko's Timeout Chapter 17) **

**Pairing: Kasamatsu and Kuroko**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**A/N: I am so sorry that it's been a while since I updated. I've been too busy with the other fics and school work. This chappie is based off of the song, "Stay" by Sugarland. I hope you enjoy this chapter~!**

**P.S. Shit shit shit shit shit shit.**

**-x-x-**

Kuroko stared longingly at the entrance of his apartment. He sat on the stool beside his breakfast bar, a cold cup of coffee sitting on the counter. He watched the door attentively, his leg hopping up and down. His eyes continued to dart at the ticking clock on the opposite wall. Aomine had been gone for about five hours already and Kuroko hadn't heard from him since. He knew he had no reason to worry, but lately Aomine's fan girls have been getting out of hand.

The boy shook his head, trying to get rid of all thoughts of doubt. His boyfriend should be fine. He isn't weak or anything. He needed to get his mind off of things. "Aomine-kun is probably just busy acting that drama with Kise-kun again," he said out loud to reassure himself. He wasn't one for watching dramas. He preferred to read and write. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head and he quickly grabbed his phone, pressing "1" for speed dial. "Hey...can we hang out?" He was unsure if the person on the other end would agree so he was excited to hear him say yes. "I'll meet you there."

**-x-x-**

"Hello, Kasamatsu-senpai," Kuroko bowed slightly, his cheeks dusted red. He moved aside for the male to walk into his home.

"Sorry that I said we should meet at your place...I don't feel like staying at mine," Kasamatsu bowed awkwardly and quickly began to remove his shoes.

Kuroko watched him closely. Kasamatsu was acting weirdly. "Uh...Kasamatsu-senpai? Are you alright?" Kuroko tilted his head to the side, his voice laced with concern.

"Huh? Ah...I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. I didn't get much sleep last night. I had a long phone call with a...friend."

The light blue haired male smiled at him with unease. He noticed that Kasamatsu hadn't met his eyes at all since he arrived. "I'm sorry about yesterday..." The two of them sat on the long couch in his living room. Kuroko found himself facing him with his knees tucked in. "Aomine-kun can be rather protective at times."

"No, it's okay," Kasamatsu smiled at him, but Kuroko's sense of unease didn't go away. "I like what you did with the place," the older man commented while glancing around him. "You've added more furniture."

Kuroko's eyes widened, he was right. The last time he invited Kasamatsu into his apartment was when he started dating Kise. Whenever the two met up, it would be at his apartment or at Kaijou. By the look on Kasamatsu's face, Kuroko knew that the same thought passed his mind. He pasted a small smile on his face, "Aomine-kun helped me picked them out."

"Oh..." Kasamatsu looked away.

He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a throb of pain from the look on his senpai's face.

"So...where is your boyfriend?"

Kuroko smiled at the change in topic, "Aomine-kun went on set to continue the drama with Kise-kun," he said with enthusiasm. He was hoping that it would lift his spirits, but instead it only made the look on Kasamatsu's face worsen.

"Hey...Kuroko..." Kasamatsu stared at his feet.

"Yes, Kasamatsu-senpai?" He felt himself leaning in closer to the older male.

"Theoretically..." Kasamatsu trailed off, seeming to have a difficult time trying to explain what he wanted to say.

"Theoretically...?"

"Um...theoretically...if someone were to cheat on you, what would you do?" Kasamatsu asked softly. His expression was guarded.

"Why do you ask?" Kuroko questioned him curiously.

"Well...Moriyama has this friend that's a girl and she caught her ex-boyfriend in the act of cheating."

"What did she do when she found out?" Kuroko asked with a horrified gesture.

"She broke up with him and she wanted nothing to do with him. She was close friends with the girl he was dating and..."

"And?"

"And it turned out that her best guy friend that she always had a crush on,"

Kuroko raised his eyebrows at this, but continued to listen.

"Is dating the friend that was cheating with her now ex-boyfriend."

After a couple of seconds, Kuroko sat back against the sofa and sighed. "Well that's a detailed theoretical question." At first, Kuroko thought that the question was going to be about Kasamatsu, but he added a lot of details. "Well...what's your question?"

"Do you think that the girl should tell her guy friend or keep it bottled up inside?"

"I think that she should do whatever she thinks would make him happy."

"Even if that means keeping it a secret?" Kuroko noticed the look in Kasamatsu's eyes change. "Even if it means watching them be happy when their relationship was founded on a bunch of lies? Even if you love them just as much? Could you really live with things staying like that?"

"...Why are you asking this?"

"Please!" Kasamatsu shouted suddenly and then shrunk when he realized that he yelled at Kuroko. "I...I need to know..."

Kuroko looked down at his hands. "Well it depends...if they don't like you back, are you alright with changing the way things are between you? What if things will always be awkward between you?"

"Then at least I'll be happy with the fact that he knows the truth."

"The truth about his relationship, or the way you feel about him?"

"The way I feel about him-," he started off quickly, but then stopped when he realized what he said.

For once, Kuroko giggled at his senior. "Got you."

"How...how did you know?"

Kuroko smiled broadly. "I can easily read you senpai. I've known you for years."

Kasamatsu chuckled awkwardly. "You know me that well, huh?"

"Mhm..." Kuroko's smile suddenly turned into a frown. "Wait...don't tell me..."

Kasamatsu's body turned cold as he braced himself for when Kuroko realized the meaning in his words.

"You have a crush on Moriyama-senpai?" Kuroko asked; his eyes wider than usual.

"That's disgusting!"

He didn't know what to think, until everything clicked. Kuroko quickly stood from the couch and looked as if he was going to cry. "Wait...you...like me?" It all made sense. Other than Moriyama, he was the closest to him. In fact, sometimes he was the closest over all. "How can that be? You never said-,"

"Of course I didn't," Kasamatsu's voice was devoid of all emotion. If Kuroko loved him back, then his reaction would have been different. There was no turning back. "...How could I tell you when you never showed an interest in me?"

"Kasamatsu-senpai..." Kuroko felt his eyes become watery.

"No...It's fine," Kasamatsu muttered and stood, facing Kuroko. He couldn't look him in the eyes. "Thanks for having me." He walked away and already had his shoes on before Kuroko could register what he meant.

"_It's as if he's saying goodbye forever," _the shorter male thought. _"If I don't stop him now...I feel as though I will never see him again."_ By then, Kasamatsu was already out the door and Kuroko couldn't make his feet move. It wasn't until Kasamatsu was down the steps did his feet propel him forward. "Kasamastsu!" Kuroko felt his heart speed up as he ran out the door of his apartment where he collided with Kasamatsu's back.

However, Kasamatsu didn't react at all and stood stonily.

"Kasamatsu-senpai...?" Kuroko walked around the male and noticed that he was staring across the street. His eyes followed his and his breath caught in his throat. "W-What?"

Across the street, there were two tall males walking out from a restaurant. One had dark blue hair while the other was blond. The two were holding hands and smiling at each other...like a couple in love.

"_Um...theoretically...if someone were to cheat on you, what would you do?" _Their conversation from earlier flashed before his eyes. "It can't be true..." His heart was being ripped apart and there was nothing he could do about it.

Then the unthinkable happened...Aomine leaned down and planted a heart racing kiss on Kise's lips. The two broke apart after a good six seconds as they stared lovingly at each other in each other's arms.

"You never looked at me like that..."

"Kuroko...?" Kasamatsu snapped his eyes away from the cheating bastard and realized that Kuroko was beside him.

Suddenly, dark blue eyes met lighter ones.

Kuroko sucked in his breath, waiting for his reaction. He wanted it to be something that would make him feel better, but all he got was Aomine's mouth moving to say, "Ah."

He wanted to cry right then and there, not caring about who could hear or see. He wanted to run across the street and cause a scene in front of everyone. He wanted to kick and scream...to shout profanities. He wanted to do all those things, but the one thing he would never do is give him something he wanted. He would not show how weak he is to the man who made him this way. He would never again feel the warmth of his lover...or his good friend.

"Kuroko...!" Kasamatsu shouted as he watched the shorter male practically fly back into his apartment. "Kuroko!" He followed him, but Kuroko slammed the door before he could step inside. "Kuroko open up!" He began to pound on the big wooden door separating him from the broken man he loves. He wanted to break the door down, but he feared of the consequences of such behavior.

Kuroko fell to the ground the moment he got inside. His false composure shattering as the first sob escaped his throat. He could only cradle his knees as he bawled on his wooden floor, his back vibrating with each pound against the door.

"Kuroko...please..." He couldn't handle the sound of his weeping. He would do anything to get inside so he could hold him close. To whisper in his ears all the encouraging words he could think of. To tell him that everything would be okay. To give him warmth in his time of need. The warmth that he wished he had when he had to deal with before. However, he didn't have enough strength to pound the door as loudly as before and his throat was dry from his endless shouting. "...Please open the door...Please..."

Kuroko could hear Kasamatsu's voice crack on the other side of the door, but his body didn't want to move. He lost all his strength the moment he was in his sheltered home.

"I'm so sorry...that you had to find out this way..."

The tears that had slowly stop was now streaming down Kuroko's face once again at the sound of Kasamatsu's broken voice. His tears drenched his clothes even more than before.

"I'm...so...sorry..."

Slowly, the pounding began to fade away and Kuroko couldn't feel him anymore. The sound of his breathing disappeared and he heard his footsteps become softer. He commanded his body to rise from the ground. "Kasamatsu-senpai...?" Kuroko whispered as he peered into the peephole that viewed the street. The first thing he saw was the back of Aomine as he punched Kasamatsu continuously, a black eye already forming on his face.

Kuroko couldn't think as his brain was shut down. It took him a second to wretch the door open, but it was already too late. Aomine threw one more punch and Kasamatsu lost his footing.

All he could hear was the sound of a horn blaring in his ears as the light of the car shone on Kasamatsu's bloody figure.

"KASAMATSU-SENPAI!"

**-x-x-**

**My goal was to make people cry...tell me if you cried and the part/reason you cried. I don't know. I feel like it's not that sad...I'm not good with sad... **

**Please review.**


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